cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts that begin on january 1. the president emerged shortly after admitting no deal had been reached at least not yet. >> we had a constructive meeting today. senators reid and mcconnell are discussing a potential agreement where we can get a bipartisan bill out of the senate over to the house and done in a timely fashion. >> reporter: the senate is in session today and is expected to return on sunday along with the house. >> we are engaged in discussions, the majority leader and myself and the white house, in the hopes that we can come forward as early as sunday and have a recommendation. >> reporter: but time is clearly running out for congress. st. mary's college political professor steven wol fert says the senate needs to introduce something today or they will likely not make the deadline. >> the deadline is so short and the amount of time necessary to go through the procedural steps to approve legislation are so numerous that they are right up against the very limit of the minimum amount of time necessary to